The present invention relates to an electrical connector. More specifically, the present invention relates to a connector socket used in conjunction with a connector plug.
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a car stereo. A well-known method for preventing car stereos from being stolen from a parked car involves a front panel Y that is detachable from a main stereo unit X. When the car is parked, front panel Y, on which buttons and the like are mounted, is removed and carried.
Referring to the dotted lines with double dashes in FIG. 5, a removable hinge is attached to one side of main stereo unit X, which is formed longer horizontally than vertically. Referring to FIG. 6, a connector plug P and a connector socket S are disposed on front panel Y and main stereo unit X in order to provide electrical contact between main stereo unit X and front panel Y.
A connector socket S used in this manner includes a connector mold A that is longer horizontally than vertically. A horizontal plug insertion opening C is formed on the surface of connector mold A to receive a plug section B of connector plug P, which is attached to the back surface of front panel Y.
A plurality of connector pairs D1, D2 is disposed within connector mold A in a symmetric arrangement relative to plug insertion opening C. Connectors D1, D2 include pressure-contact ends d1, which are able to come into contact with plug contacts b of plug section B.
Connector mold A is open on the side facing main stereo unit X, and these contacts are mounted in connector mold A from the back side of connector mold A. Positioning projections are formed on attachment bases d2 and are fixed to attachment grooves E1, E2, which are disposed from front to back in connector mold A. Pressure-contact ends d1, which are continuous with U-shaped deformation absorbers d3, are projected inside plug insertion opening C.
In conventional contacts D1, D2, external connection terminals d4 are bent vertically at right angles after attachment base d2 is attached to attachment grooves E1, E2. External connection terminals d4 are then soldered in main stereo unit X to the printed circuit substrate or the like to which connector mold A is fixed.
However, when external connection terminals d4 of contacts D1, D2 are processed in the final step as described here, it is not possible to accurately bend external connection terminals d4 at right angles. This prevents external connection terminals d4 from being disposed snugly against the surface of the printed circuit substrate upon which connector socket S is mounted. This can result in bad solder joints doing the solder-dipping step.
Stated another way, bending external connection terminals d4 at right angles means performing the bending operation along the back surface of connector mold A. External connection terminals d4 are not bend at precise right angles due to factors such as the springing back of external connection terminals d4. Thus, external connection terminals d4 end up elevated from the conductor layer of the printed circuit substrate surface, thus preventing reliable solder connections.